Kai didn't stay to watch the Enforcer's spark fade. He knew the City's response time; in less than three minutes, this sector would be swarming with tactical units.
He grabbed his wrench, slung his satchel over his shoulder, and dived into the rain-slicked streets of Neo-Veridia. The blue interface in his vision pulsed, guiding him toward the lower levels where the neon lights were dimmer and the law was non-existent.
[NEW OBJECTIVE: REACH THE NEON-UNDERGROUND]
[REWARD: PERMANENT STORAGE SUB-SYSTEM]
As he sprinted through the dark alleys, his Neural-Link Blade retracted into its hilt. He needed to disappear. But as he reached the entrance of the "Shattered Socket"—a well-known hacker bar—he froze.
A man was standing by the entrance, draped in a long white coat that didn't have a single drop of rain on it. He looked out of place in the grime of the slums. Above the man's head, Kai saw something that made his blood run cold.
[TARGET IDENTIFIED: PLAYER ID #882]
[LEVEL: 12]
[THREAT LEVEL: LETHAL]
Kai's heart hammered against his ribs. He wasn't the only one. The System wasn't a unique gift; it was a global game, and he was the smallest fish in the pond.
The stranger turned, his eyes glowing with a sinister violet light that mirrored Kai's own blue interface.
"A new Level 2?" the stranger laughed, the sound echoing like distorted static. "The City hasn't birthed a new player in months. I wonder... what does your core taste like?"
[EMERGENCY PROTOCOL INITIATED]
[ANALYZING ESCAPE ROUTE... 0% FOUND]
Kai gripped his hilt. The Enforcer was a machine. This... this was a predator. He realized then that the real danger wasn't the police. It was the other players.
"Level 2 or not," Kai hissed, his thumb hovering over the activation switch. "I don't plan on being anyone's dinner."